A robotic hand covered in ‘brainy skin’ that mimics the human sense of touch is being developed by scientists. University of Glasgow’s Professor Ravinder Dahiya has plans to develop ultra-flexible, synthetic Brainy Skin that ‘thinks for itself’. The super-flexible, hypersensitive skin may one day be used to make more responsive prosthetics for amputees, or to […]

Comau has unveiled MATE, its first innovative wearable exoskeleton. MATE has been designed to improve work quality in an efficient and highly ergonomic manner by providing consistent and advanced movement assistance during repetitive as well as daily tasks. The MATE Fit for Workers exoskeleton uses an advanced spring-based passive structure. MATE delivers lightweight, breathable and […]

Nissan unveiled an autonomous robot, which can draw football pitches wherever there is space, at the UEFA Champion’s League Final Kyiv 2018. Named Pitch-R, the robot is inspired by Nissan’s advanced ProPILOT driver assistance technology. ProPILOT is available on the 100% electric new Nissan LEAF and on the Nissan Qashqai. The system is a key […]

Festo has unveiled two new lightweight robotic concepts, inspired by nature. The BionicWheelBot and BionicFlyingFox are this year’s creations from the company’s Bionic Learning Network, where Festo’s experts looked at the motion of spiders and bats to navigate complex situations – from crossing rocky terrain to learning efficient flight paths. BionicWheelBot robot is based on […]

Students at The University of Manchester have designed and built a 3D printed, low-cost robotic prosthetic hand that could provide a much cheaper alternative for amputees. The hand’s joints are all fully poseable with each individual finger and the thumb being able to move as well as make a fist. The functionality of the hand […]

We’ve heard it all before. Robots ‒ those elusive job munchers ‒ are making their way to an office near you. And the message is clear: they are smarter than you, they are cheaper than you, and they won’t vie for the corner office… like you. If it’s not YouTube, it’s our friends at TED […]

Renishaw’s neuromate stereotactic robot recently featured in an episode of the BBC drama Holby City. During the episode, neuromate assists with the treatment of an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) patient who undergoes a stereotactic Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) procedure. In the storyline, neurosurgeons use advanced MRI technology and Renishaw’s neuroinspire software to identify the region of […]

Safety is particularly important in air travel, both on the ground and in the air. For this reason, aircraft are regularly inspected and maintained. An important item on the inspector’s checklist is looking for signs of corrosion and metal fatigue on the outer skin of the aircraft. To reduce ground handling times and to increase […]

Hollywood has created a huge buzz around robotic exoskeleton suits. Technology portrayed in Iron Man, the Edge of Tomorrow, and Avatar all show humans with superhuman abilities because of robotic add-ons. Here, Chris Johnson, managing director of specialist bearing supplier SMB Bearings, explains the importance of choosing specialised bearings and lubrication in robotic exoskeletons as […]

Most cameras just record colour but now the 3D shapes of objects, captured through only a single lens, can be accurately estimated using new software developed by UCL computer scientists. The method, published today at CVPR 2017, gives state-of-the-art results and works with existing photos, allowing any camera to map the depth for every pixel […]

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An autonomously guided vehicle (AGV) equipped with a robot arm has been developed by Mitsubishi Electric and Mirage, making it possible to deploy the same robot at multiple workstations. The system has been designed to give unprecedented flexibility to assembly lines and boost plant productivity. An articulated arm robot fixed in a static position can […]

Mitsubishi Electric’s latest Linear Transfer System (LTS) with Smart Carriage technology can increase productivity and flexibility, while maintaining plant safety and improving responsiveness. The innovative line transfer solution, combined with the unique Smart Carriages, provides an intelligent transport system for the integration of production and packaging lines. The LTS and its Smart Carriages bring product […]

Factories populated by autonomous vehicles delivering parts and sub-assemblies across the shop floor, robots working alongside human operators to assemble customised products – all scheduled automatically by live orders placed online. While this is a utopian vision of manufacturing for many and there are certain industry sectors where the journey to smart manufacturing is a […]

The Selfridges store in London’s Oxford Street has long been known for showcasing the latest innovations. Throughout its 109-year history the famed department store has played host to a variety of new technologies including the Bleriot XI airplane, the first to cross the English Channel; the first ever public demonstration of a television set; and […]

New from Igus is robolink Apiro, a new modular motion system which enables design engineers develop low-cost automation systems. Consisting three lubrication-free worm gears for standard movement, inverted movement and linear movement, the system can be configured to perform simple linear motion to complex humanoid and animatronic robotic tasks. “The name says it all: Apiro […]

ABB has expanded its collaborative automation offering with the launch of a new single-arm YuMi robot. The IRB 14050 single-arm YuMi is ABB’s most agile and compact robot and is designed to easily fit into existing production lines to increase flexibility while working safely alongside people. The new collaborative robot is one of the first […]

Robotics and automation solutions: RARUK Automation is a long established expert in the supply of a wide variety of industrial robot and automation solutions for a myriad of customer applications. Among
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According to a market research report by Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies entitled Trends in Food Processing Operations, half of the companies surveyed will be increasing their level of automation over the next three to five years. Despite this, many manufacturers admit they don’t know where to start. Here, Nigel Smith, CEO of industrial […]

In September 2017, VDMA increased its growth forecast for the current year for German robotics and automation from 7% to 11%. The industry is also booming internationally. With this positive outlook and numerous innovations ready to be shown, the world’s leading companies are going to meet at Automatica in Munich from June 19 to 22, […]

In food produce environments and packhouses, the benefits of automation when it comes to workforce health and safety are uncontended. From eliminating arduous and repetitive tasks to working uninterrupted within inhospitable chilled settings, robots are most certainly the future. Case loading specialist Brillopak and industrial automation pioneer Omron explore how smart robots, hardware and software […]

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Robotics Update is the online magazine for industrial robots and automation equipment, where users from a multitude of industries can find information about products and systems, and read comment, case studies and technical articles. Information is sourced from the leading players in the industry, and content is updated daily.